Beirut is very full and very busy. It’s also sunny and hot, not as hot as the summer here but enough for me to want to catch a few rays. This is difficult to achieve in-between the buildings and the traffic. The solution is to hit the Sporting Club on the Corniche. Very select, but then a lot of Beirut seem to have plenty of money. Lots of sophisticated people here and big fancy cars.

The Sporting club is right on the sea with a mixture of swimming pools (plural) and also sea pools between the rocks. Natural swimming pools with the luxury of ladders to clamber in and out. It costs $25 to get in and this includes your own cabin to get changed and leave your clothes in, sun loungers and shade – if that’s what you want- and waiters serving cold drinks. Very fancy.

We managed to sneak off for a couple of hours, our programme is quite intensive and I am finding it difficult to be inside all the time

The swim was delicious. The sea is warm enough to wallow in, the cold drinks welcome and there’s even wi fi so you can run your business or write your blog whilst you chill.

What a life!!